Gender-prevalent cancers like breast and prostate cancer have one thing in common: age. Of the roughly 220,800 cases of prostate cancer likely to have been diagnosed during 2015, 60% of them would be on patients over the age of 65 and rarely on those below 40; similarly breast cancer is rare before the age of 40. Both cancers have relatively high risk rates, with one in eight women developing breast cancer over their lifetimes and one in seven men have a similar risk of contracting prostate cancer and requiring cancer care.
Both cancers have similar survival rates, 100% or close for detection in early stages. This is where vital cancer care and detection is key. Early breast cancer diagnosis is possible with a mammogram and this is especially useful for women over the age of 50 when risk increases. For men, regular prostate examinations can greatly increase the possibility of detecting the cancer early on.
Familial incidence of either cancer makes it more likely that a person with be diagnosed with that cancer. In men with two or more relatives with a history of prostate cancer, they are four times as likely to be diagnosed with that cancer. For women, the risk of breast cancer doubles if they have a close relative such as a mother who has a history of the cancer.
Despite this, as mentioned, survival rates are high and can be maximized by ensuring regular quality healthcare check-ups at cancer centers. It is comforting to know that almost 50% of cancer survivors are 70 or older, and 64% of all cancer survivors have been cancer-free for five years or more.